The United States launched a sweeping series of strikes on Iran’s Kharg Island early Tuesday, hitting dozens of military targets in a significant escalation of pressure on Tehran.

According to two U.S. officials, American forces struck more than 50 military sites on the island, which lies off Iran’s southern coast and serves as the country’s primary oil export hub.

The operation took place early Tuesday morning Eastern time and deliberately avoided oil infrastructure, officials said.

Despite Kharg Island’s central role in global energy markets, U.S. officials stressed the strikes were carefully targeted to limit broader economic disruption while degrading Iranian military capabilities.

The latest action comes just ahead of President Donald Trump’s deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping lane through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil passes under normal conditions.

The administration has warned of further consequences if Tehran does not restore full transit through the strait.

Tuesday’s operation builds on earlier U.S. strikes in and around Kharg Island, where military assets have increasingly been targeted in recent days as tensions escalated.

Those prior actions similarly focused on strategic and military sites while avoiding direct hits on oil facilities, signaling a calibrated approach aimed at pressuring Iran.

Kharg Island has long been a critical node in Iran’s economy and military logistics, making it a focal point in the unfolding confrontation.

The scale of the latest strikes underscores the growing intensity of the standoff and raises the stakes for both sides as the deadline approaches.